Governorship
President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Hoggatt Governor of the District of Alaska on March 10, 1906. The new governor remarried on February 25 of the next year. His second marriage, to Clarissa Eames Millard of Utica, New York, produced three daughters: Clarissa, Isabelle, and Elinor.
The new governor was a strong proponent of economic development, with expanded coal mining being a focus of his efforts. He viewed coal as a useful energy source and needed material for establishing railroads within the district. Hoggart was thwarted in his efforts however, first by the U.S. Congress, who were looking to control the growth of new monopolies, passing legislation limiting the size of mining districts. Then in November 1906, President Roosevelt barred all coal-mining on public lands. As the vast majority of Alaska was owned by the federal government, this effectively prohibited coal mining in Alaska.
Another frustration for Hoggatt was his inability to convince the federal legislature to revise surveying laws. This created problems for homesteaders and gold miners wishing to move to Alaska. Hoggatt did oversee the move of Alaska's capital from Sitka to Juneau. In a break with the majority of the district's population, the governor opposed granting territorial status. This was due to Hoggatt fearing that potential new taxes created by a territorial legislature would discourage further economic development.
The end of Hoggatt's term as governor came on May 18, 1909 when he resigned to make way for President William Howard Taft's appointment of Walter Eli Clark.
Read more about this topic: Wilford Bacon Hoggatt